The Last Remnant
by arvin calfaye
Summary: One year after the Reunion, a boy who bears a striking trademark with Sephiroth is found by Vincent. Who was he?
1. The Boy

Title:

Chapter 1: The Boy

Vincent walked down the streets of the Sector 5, Midgar. He looked into the sky contemplating the days when he, Cloud and the gang battled with Sephiroth, and the year before, Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo. The sliver-haired men legacy......

Midgar was slowly getting onto her feet after the Geostigma incident, thanks to his old ally Reeve and his new group of Turks. Old Shinra Electric Company was long gone, with Reeve taking over the helm restarting it as Neo-Shinra. The new Shinra Inc. abandoned the old Mako Reactors, replacing its energy source with steam and the four huge materia which energy efficiency was two times better than pure Mako.

Reeve was currently evacuating the slums of all the sectors and relocated them in villages outside Midgar. Soon, the slums would be just another passing phrase in the pages of history.

Vincent walked into a shaded walkway, turning into a small alley jus behind the bar. His long overcoat picking up the slight breeze, his jet black hair untied and unkempt, cascaded loosely down his back, he walked silently along the litter clad narrow alley going towards the large bulk of clothes at the end.

He looked up into the small slit of sky. Stoically gazing at the endless above, he thought, "ah...dark clouds, an ominous portent..." His mind wandered again, searching for long buried memories, lamenting his pain.

Vincent did not see what lay ahead. He tripped over a large cloth bundle which sent him sprawling onto the ground. Scorning at his carelessness, he got up and brushed the dirt off his suit. He wanted to move aside the bundle to prevent future mishaps when he heard a soft grunt when he pushed it.

At the corner of his eye, he saw pale human fingers under a layer of cloth. He quickly pulled the cloth aside to reveal a half-dead boy, shivering and trembling from the cold. From the topmost follicle to the tip of his toe, he was caked in mud and grime and had bruises all over. His eyes fluttered weakly.

Vincent did not want to leave the boy. He might die in the cruel slums. Children, unlike him, should not suffer the wrath of the Planet, downright callous. He carefully picked up the young boy into his right arm, careful not to hurt him with his mechanical one.

He ran out of the alley and walkway into the darkened streets of Sector 5. Vincent ran through crowds, avoiding the vehicles as they past by. He reached a tall, shabby apartment building with peeling paint and moulds growing through cracks. Securing the boy in his arms, he clambered up the four flights of stairs before reaching his residence.

The sun set as Midgar's night life sprang up in a dazzle of lights. Among the hustle and bustle of party-goers and pub regulars, a man stood at the bar counter drinking his last drop of liquor. Setting down his drink, he tossed the bartender his owed Gil.

"Let's look for 'im," he motioned to a man and woman behind him. The man's companions nodded at him and went out off the bar. "Gawd, who knows what's gonna happen if he finds out we could not find the boy."

He tossed a cigarette onto the floor, extinguishing it with the sole of his boots.

* * *

_Sidelines..._

_Bear with me if it's crappy. it's my first fic and should be finishing it on paper. It's jus a matter of when would i post it..._


	2. I'm Kysten

**Chapter 2: Call me Kysten...**

Closing the door behind him, Vincent set the weak boy on a plastic covered sofa in his living room. He took off his black overcoat and hung it on a clothes hanger beside the front door.

Vincent's small apartment looked almost tidy and simple. He had very little furniture but had two large cupboards filled with books and research notes which he shifted from the basement laboratory of the old Shinra Mansion. The apartment consisted of two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room and a kitchen. It had enough space for Vincent to live in but crowded when Reno, Elena and Rude bunked in for a few days.

Vincent pulled up his sleeves and slowly removed the cloth that draped the boy. His dirt covered clothes were tattered and he saw a dark patch of red stained on the front of his shirt which he identified as blood. His face was also a mix of blood and mud. Getting up, he went into the closet and took out a small metal bucket and face towel. He filled it up with water and walked towards the sleeping boy.

He sat beside the boy's head, wringing the sponge damp. Vincent lightly wiped away the dirt from the boy's pale face. The boy moved slightly before jerking up to a sitting position, panting heavily.

"Where am I? Who...wha...," he stuttered, surveying the strange surroundings.

"You're awake now I see," Vincent said calmly. "Rest up, you're hurt."

The boy rested his head back on the sofa before closing his eyes in gloomy resignation. Vincent sat in the chair next to the boy before closing his eyes in sleep.

The boy woke up the next day to see an older man sitting on the chair reading a book. He looked around and assumed that where he was staying in belonged to the man. He recalled faintly the things that happened yesterday...

"Good Morning." Vincent looked up from the book, "Perhaps you could wash up first before breakfast."

"Y-yes, Sir." He stammered.

"Call me Vincent. By the way, you are....?"

"I'm Kysten," Kysten said.

"The bathroom's that way." Vincent got up from the chair walking toward his bedroom, pointing to the bathroom to his right. He went into the room and came out with a grey towel and a fresh pair of blue jeans and red shirt. "I do not have any of your size but it is better than your current. Take it."

Kysten took the towels and clothes. With a small smile creeping over his face, he stepped in for a hot bath, one which he had not indulged in for years.

Kysten stepped out of the bathroom cleaned and refreshed. He squirmed at the fact that the pants were almost dropping below his hips and the shirt was quite baggy. Vincent was reading the book and the sofa had been cleaned of the dirt.

"Erm...Mr. Vincent, Sir..." Kysten shyly spoke.

"Just call me Vincent. No need for formalities." Vincent interjected. He looked up to Kysten. His eyes widened a little as he looked at Kysten's face, now clean. _"No...it can't be..."_

Kysten stood around 5'6, his skin as pale white as cream, bright purple eyes gazing with a look of pain and fear. Most striking was that he had...sliver hair, just like...'her' son. Kysten's sliver hair fell just above his shoulders, his fringe reached until his chin.

"Have you, a father or mother?" Vincent asked, bright red met bright purple.

"I do not recall my biological parents, an old couple took me in. They were the ones who named me as thus."

"I see... Do not stand on ceremony. Sit down and eat the toast. You must be hungry." Vincent shifted away from the topic.

"Sure...thanks." Kysten went up to the small dinner table, pulled out a chair and sat down. He started on the toast with jam, hungrily munching it down. He had not eaten for days and his stomach growled inconsistently.

Vincent did not know where to start. For the past three years, the sliver-haired men had almost brought upon the destruction of the Planet. _Could Kysten be the next? Would a third catastrophe forth cometh? _Many questions hung in Vincent's mind. "_Maybe this is a good time to visit them."_

"Kysten, do you have anywhere to go?"

"Huh?" Kysten said between mouthfuls. "Oh, no...If I'm too much of a trouble, I'll just hang around Midgar, or get a job somewhere else."

"No, that's not what I meant. Since you have nowhere else to go, stay here." _The members of Avalanche need to know about you. _

"But would I be a trouble, I mean... what if.." Kysten hesitated.

"No you would not..."_Maybe.. _Vincent thought. "Besides, the room over there is vacant and is quite furnished. You can sleep there."

"Gee...thanks a lot!" Kysten's eyes sparkled up, now glowing a fierce purple blazing with joy.

"At 5, I'm going to meet some friends of mine. I request you to meet them."

"Okay...?" Kysten replied.

In the afternoon, both of them stayed in the house. Vincent managed to find out some details of Kysten.

Kysten was 15 years. He could not recall his parents. He told Vincent that he ran away from an orphanage at the age of 12. The orphanage did not give him a name but called him by a number. As he did not want to lead such a boring life, he escaped. He was later taken in by an old couple who was childless for years, they found him scavenging for scraps to eat . The Meteor Incident which it was then called, had passed when they found him. They named him Kysten and he spent the last three or less years with them until they were killed by thugs ever present in the slums. Since then, he had been wandering. But Vincent sensed that Kysten was holding back something from the way he stammered and hesitated.

The two got ready by 5, Vincent wearing a grey collared shirt and leather pants, with his long black overcoat, and Kysten borrowing a blue t-shirt and the same jeans as before. Vincent took the keys and locked the apartment. Both went down the building into the congested streets of Sector 5.

* * *

_Disclaimer:_

_I do not own FF VII or FFVII: AC nor their characters and places mentioned. Original characters like Kysten and the plot of the story is entirely my works which i painstakingly thought of. So i would appreciate if you do NOT copy it or whatsoever. Thanks_


	3. The Visit

**Chapter 3: The Visit**

5pm, Midgar time. 5pm and most shops closed. Owners wary of the underdogs that prowl the city in the mid of the night, by 6 all shops except a minority had closed for the day. The ones which are open day till midnight were bars, nightclubs and cyber cafes. The concentration of people out there grew lesser and lesser as the last rays of sun vanished into the horizon. They went home to their awaiting families or rest from a hard day's work.

The day turned quickly to night at this time of the year. In the corner of an alleyway walked Vincent and Kysten. Thick clouds of hot steam bellowed out of the drainage covers water dripped from the clothes that hung from above, making small dripping sounds in puddles.

Kysten blew out a cold stream of vapour as he walked. He shivered and hugged his body. Autumn was going away, leaving winter to cover its tracks in a white blanket. His teeth chattered loudly. Kysten looked up to Vincent to see the taller man unaffected by the surroundings. Vincent looked down, seeing a cold Kysten, he stopped.

"Feeling cold?" he asked, bending down to level with Kysten's eyes.

Kysten gave a silent nod.

"Here, wear it. It might keep you warm." Vincent responded to the boy's quiet answer and took off the black overcoat. He urged Kysten to take it and he complied. Kysten wore it and the two continued down the path.

"Where are we going?" Kysten queried as they walked to the end of the alleyway.

"Cloud and Tifa's house," he replied.

"It's a dead end." Kysten said. The alleyway stopped at a high wall. In the centre of the graffiti covered wall was a large bulk under a dark plastic covering.

"Not anymore." Vincent breathed. He pulled aside the plastic covering to reveal a large black, sleek road bike.

The large motorbike was black, except the engine and exhaust which were slivery and glinted in the dim light. On its side was a small embossment in sliver, black and gold, which carved the words 'Scorcher'. Vincent sat on the leather seat and started the engine, roaring to life. Kysten stared in awe. He was going to ride this.

"Get on. Behind me." Kysten listened and he hopped behind Vincent as they rode out of the alley into a road. "Hold onto me tight, lest you may fall." Kysten clung onto Vincent's shirt and the overcoat picked up the fast moving air, flying.

No sooner, they were careening down the Midgar Pan-City Highway. It was night and the highway held very little flow of cars. The speedometer indicated that they had been travelling at a speed of 130 miles per hour. Their hair whipped in a mass of black contradicting with sliver.

During the past years, Vincent slowly opened his eyes to the world, bit by bit. Seeing how time and technology had changed, he could not bring himself to remain in the old ShinRa Mansion in Nibelheim. He decided to move on. At first, he was confused at the fast pace he was going, living among society. He got himself a job with the help of Elena and both worked in the same Midgar Library Archives.

Vincent and Kysten drove out of Sector 5 to the upper plate of Sector 3. They crossed the still junctions and slowed down at the entrance of a noisy bar, 'Eleventh Heaven'. Patrons were drinking their hearts merry, upbeat music was blaring. Some of the customers got too drunk; they lay unconscious on the counter.

The engine of the Demise died down and Vincent slowly parked it at a lighted spot. The two got off and Vincent fastened a chain onto the Demise's front wheel before walking to the other side of 'Eleventh Heaven'. There stood a door, with lights inside. Figures moving around.

"Stay directly behind me, Kysten." Vincent told him to, Kysten asked no questions.

Vincent pushed the doorbell once, waiting for one of the household to answer. From behind the tinted, frosted glass panel on the door, the faint outline of a spiky-haired person drew closer towards the door. With a turn of a knob and a click of the latch, Vincent came face to face with the ex-leader of AVALANCHE, none other than Cloud Strife.

Cloud Strife, the ex-SOLDIER, _"He's now..."_ Vincent thought_, "24."_

After Meteor, Cloud spend months wandering aimlessly outside the City of Ancients, relying on a miserable stream flowing through the cracks of old stone buildings and wild fruit trees and vines that grew on the once Magnificent City of Ancients. Tifa went looking for him all over the Planet from the farthest reaches of the Northern Cave Crater to the small island of Cactuar Island. She looked and never once gave up, until she found his weak form at her doorstep. He wept. He kept on rambling that he could not save 'her'. Tifa took him into her arms, telling him that it was not his fault. He got over and they moved to this residence where they set up a bar and an orphanage.

"Oh...my...gawd!! Id that you Vincent?" Cloud shouted in surprise. Tifa heard him and came rushing from the bar to the door. She stood there in astonishment.

"Vincent! Come in, it's been awhile." She gestured Vincent inside the house.

Vincent had not seen the couple since they departed their separated ways. He neither sent them a letter nor gave them a call. He almost completely broke of contacts with every AVALANCHE member until now.

"Wait," he held up his hand. "Cloud, Tifa, there's someone whom I think that you should meet, Kysten. My purpose of this visit."

Vincent moved to one side of the door, to reveal a confused Kysten. His glowing purple eyes met Cloud's Mako green. "H-hi," Kysten said barely above a whisper.

Tifa reeled in horror when her gaze set upon the boy; she took a step back, breathing in deeply. Cloud took a deep breath before muttering, "Shit...not again." His face darkened from a smile earlier on to a serious deadly look.

"Where did you find him, Vincent?" He asked slowly, word by word.

Kysten looked at the man who a while ago who was energetic and brimming with joy. The lady too. The moment they looked upon him, everything changed. He wept silently in his heart. Knowing that people hated him. _"I'm different...so different... why? Why me? I make people afraid...why? This is probably me...I'm not fit to live with them... People hate the looks of me..."_

"It's best we talk inside," Vincent replied to Cloud. "Let no one hear."

Vincent and the solemn Kysten walking into Tifa and Cloud's house and Cloud closed the door, knowing that things are not going to be as peaceful as before.

* * *

_Sidelines......_

_so the plot thicken here ya?_

_review or no review...i'll still write on.._


	4. Discussions and Realisations

**Chapter 4: Discussions and Realisations**

Tifa sighed. She made every last guest leave the 'Eleventh Heaven'. Many customers complained about the sudden closure, asked her why. She smiled at them and only said:

"Something sprung up awhile ago. It's important."

She was about to off the lights when she saw a drunk body of a man lying in the corner next to the jukebox. He was babbling "So my mom told me...she said....no no that's not what..."

"Hrmph!" Tifa stared crossly, hands at her hip at the mess of a man. "Bloody Dan." Tifa strode up to the dazed man. She pulled him up and pushed the woozy man out of the door. The man continued talking insensibly about his family problems.

"Shut up Dan, if you weren't so drunk, you would have used this money to tide over your problems," she snapped. Tifa gave a heave and pushed out the man onto the sidewalk outside her bar. "Don't let me see you here again, causing nuisance here."

Going back into the bar, she made double sure that no one was left and turned off the lights. Closing the door that led to the bar, she shook her head, relieved from a day's hard work. She ran up the stairs, making sure that the orphans were sleeping soundly in their beds. Fir if their not, she would give them a short lecture on 'how late it was now'.

Cloud, Vincent and Kysten sat in the living room, tensed. Neither one moved from their seats nor talked to each other. Cloud had initially wanted to talk to Vincent about the past year but slumped into the soft cushion stealing short glances at the strange sliver haired boy. Kysten knew Cloud was looking at him and felt troubled. He broke the silence.

"Can you please stop staring at me? It's unnerving."

"Oh, sorry. Perhaps for starters, I'm Cloud. My lady friend there is Tifa. You're Kysten right?" He tried to smile, awkwardly.

"Yes." Kysten bowed his head down in silence. "_By the looks of these people, they do not look inviting. This Cloud guy... looks at me with contempt. I'm really that useless, feels so dirty. Only Father and Mother cared about me... They were the only ones which showed me kindness. Hell...they're gone. Nothing can change that, nothing. So what good are these people? What right are they to judge me? Hah! It feels hurting inside...ever since..."_

Tifa ran down the stairs, the stair boards creaking underneath her. She went to the back of the kitchen and took out a glass jar of distilled water from the cooler. She bent down to get four small glasses from the cabinet and put them in a tray together with the jar. Tossing her silky long hair to one side, she took the refreshments out to her unexpected visitors.

She looked at Vincent and Kysten. Vincent she had not seen since the victory celebrations after the defeat of Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz. He just disappeared, vanished. It seemed that he did not exist at all for the time. Back then, she felt ill at ease and awkward in his presence, now, she felt that the aura around him seemed less frightening and perturbing. _"He's probably changed,"_ she thought.

Tifa then shifted her view onto Kysten. She gulped down a ball that formed in her gut. First Sephiroth then came along Kadaj and his gang. Like them, Kysten just came out of nowhere. There was something about Kysten she felt peculiar. Kysten looked lost and confused, just like the innocent orphans she took in. She walked towards him. He slumped forward, skinny elbows on his knee, hand on his shoulder. His shoulder length hair hung down as his face looked towards the ground. _"He has one of the most unusual auras around him. Unlike Vincent, his seems fearsome and intimidating. I feel as if I knew him from somewhere, but whom?" _She did not want to jump into conclusions and decided to play it safe.

"Erm, Kysten? Here's your drink." Tifa interrupted his train of thoughts.

"Thanks," he whispered. Kysten took the glass of cold water from her hands and lifted it to his lips. For a moment, he placed the cup at his lips and he slowly drank part of the clear liquid and set it down on the coffee table in front of him.

Tifa handed the other men their glasses and smothered her black shorts before sitting down next to Cloud.

"Pardon me for my unexpected arrival," Vincent started. "I felt it was a priority to bring him here."

"Ahh...it's nothing. Besides, as I was saying, where did you find the boy?" Cloud shifted forward. His fingers locked in between each other.

"Found him in the streets yesterday, took him in." he replied straight to the point.

"I see..." Cloud pondered for a moment and he turned and shifted his gaze toward the perpetually disturbed Kysten. "Kysten, where are you from?"

Kysten darted his eyes from one person to another. They all watched him, expecting to hear his answer. _"Strangers, yet they already want to know my life's story," _he contemplated. "No. Why should I?" he replied coldly.

"Kysten, answer the question!" Cloud's tone became more intimidating. He looked closely into Kysten's eyes, fiery green meeting a fearful purple.

Tifa knew the boy was daunted by Cloud's demanding approach. "Cloud, I think we should..." she tried. She put a hand on his lap.

"No Tifa let me do the talking." Cloud cut her off. "Kysten, answer me!"

"No."

"ANSWER ME!" Cloud lost his patience and shouted.

Tifa's eyes widened. She had never seen Cloud this scary before. She remembered the children upstairs and Cloud's uproar would have scared some of them.

"Cloud! You'll wake the children!" Tifa cried. Vincent stared unmovingly at the three.

"No! Leave me be!" Kysten hollered. He jumped from his seat and ran towards the door. Vincent saw the boy leaving and with agility, grabbed tightly the boy's right arm before he could reach for the door.

"Let me go! I appreciate your hospitality Vincent, I'm done here. What else do you want of me?" Kysten snarled. He struggled and kicked at Vincent but the older man resisted Kysten's futile attempts of freedom.

Cloud got up to drag Kysten back to the living room. He took hold of Kysten's other flailing arm and attempted to move him. Kysten's struggle made the long sleeves of his shirt to reveal up his arms, exposing what was like pierced skin and wounds from his upper arm.

"Damn!" Cloud exclaimed. "Where did you get this?" He extended a hand and clasped his arm firmly to take a closer look. Tifa came behind him from making sure the children are asleep, inspecting the marks on his arm.

It took Cloud only a few seconds to recognise that trademark scar on his arms. He had exactly the same ones on his arm, when he was injected with Mako. "Mako injections," he whispered. All the fiery died out of him. He knew that Mako was only used on people either when they worked with ShinRa then, or just like Vincent, was used as a lab rat. He assumed the latter. "Did you partake in any experiments?"

Kysten stopped struggling, he stared coldly into Cloud's eyes. "Let me go, Vincent. I'll talk."

"Kysten I know we're people you don't know. But trust us. We will help you if you can." Cloud strained his words, putting his hand over his heart, showing his sincerity towards Kysten.

"So you want to know everything eh?" Kysten asked, free from the clutches of Vincent and Cloud. Seeing Cloud's gesture, he felt more reassured. "Sit down. Vincent, I hadn't been entirely true with you. It's because I didn't trust you."

The three sat back on their seats. Kysten took a sip of water before calming down. He breathes out and started "Okay...here goes."

"I have no idea when or where I was born. Nor who were my parents. Maybe it was amnesia or something but I had no clue at all. I only knew that I was alive when it went back around 6 years back. I was in this cave where some people did some experiments on me. They put me in this cell, and every time I asked them about me, they're bring me to a chair and inject me with something which makes me feel woozy and dazed. There was a time about 1 and a half years ago when the guard didn't close the door. I ran through it and lost my way. This couple found me in the streets and they care for me for a long time, I did not have a proper name but was called Mirror but my captors so they named me Kysten. I thought it was all over until the same men which imprisoned me in the caves somehow managed to find me and tried to capture me. They couple tried in vain to protect me but died in their hands. I ran away, until Vincent found me."

They all listened closely to Kysten's moving story. Tifa's eyes were brimming with tears from his sad story. All stared in silence. "I don't know whether they will come after me, whether they would find me. I planned to run away from Vincent's apartment. I didn't want him to get involved in this, just like what happened to the couple who homed me."

"It might not be you who is only involved in this Kysten. More or less, we are most likely involved in this." Vincent said. "You were most likely part of an experiment of Hojo."

"We once were used by him." Cloud added. "If Hojo's alive, we're gonna put him to rest again."

* * *

_Sidelines_

_dang..one quite long chapter...tired_


	5. Rest from a Night's Events

**Chapter 4 part two: Rest from the Night's Events**

"Hojo?" Kysten queried. "I do not know of any Hojo. The people who did this to me, I never knew their names. I did not even see their faces. They blindfolded me before they did these to me." _Maybe I do. The name seemed to stir something buried deep in my heart. What is it? It makes me feel dread. It's as if I knew this Hojo._

Cloud shook his head. Kysten did not recall anybody who did this to him. Perhaps the only way was to find out where this was carried out. There may be a possibility if he could remember, and they would be able to find out Kysten's purpose on this Planet.

Vincent fathomed what Kysten said, he shuddered at the mention of the ghastly scientist's name. Kysten's just like him, subjected to endless tests just like him. Haven't these scientist had enough? Haven't they understood Mako and JENOVA enough?

He was angry at the thought of it. Scientists who try to ascend to the level of Gods, they messed up people's genetic structure. Causing chaos and terror throughout the Planet. Causing deaths of loved ones. For what? For the dawn of a new age? Utter rubbish. If this was the new age these scientists were hoping for, he'd made sure they regretted it.

Tifa looked at the clock that stood on the mantelpiece. The hands ticked softly, seconds passed and seconds closer still. It was already 1 in the morning. She suppressed a yawn and decided that she should retire for the night.

"Guys, it's late. We can discuss all these tomorrow," Tifa turned to a silent Cloud.

He turned and cleared out his thoughts and smiled at her. "Why not! Hey Vincent, tomorrow morning if you're free, please give me a call. Okay?"

Vincent pondered of his schedule for the next day and nodded. "It's late, I don't want to trouble you." He shifted and got up from his seat.

"No problem. I'm tired but I'll see you off." Cloud stood and stretched his arms. "God! Tifa, it's 1am in the morning. Get some rest." He walked to the side of the room to get his windbreaker.

"Naw, I'll see Vincent off." Tifa shook her head, and walked beside Cloud, reaching for the warm jacket at the hanger. "By the way, where would Kysten be staying?"

"At my apartment, he stays in an extra room. Anyway, it'll be overcrowded if you put him in here." Vincent replied, opening the door. The others walked out of the door and he closed it. Tifa took out a key from her pocket and locked the door with a click.

The four slowly walked to the front of the bar where the Demise was parked at. Tifa walked beside Cloud. Vincent was in the middle of Kysten and Cloud. Kysten silently walked, looking at Cloud and Vincent who were talking about the past year. He wondered what tomorrow brings.

"Vince, I really don't know you, man." Cloud chuckled, he was now more relaxed than before. "A fine way to make your entrance, despite the fact that we thought you disappeared for months." He nudged Vincent with his elbow.

Vincent cringed at the nickname Cloud said and refused to let it bother him. "Better for you not to know." _Some people never change._

They reached the vehicle and Vincent unlocked the chain that fastened the rims of the bike to the lamppost. Cloud stared wide-eyed at the large two-wheeler, refusing to believe that this Vincent drives that thing.

"Holy Crap! Von ol' boy ditcha drive this beauty here?" His eyes glowed with curiosity and excitement.

"In a matter of fact, yes. Don't ask me why."

"To think we all thought you went back to that rotten old coffin in that stinky old mansion." Tifa joked.

"That's not funny." Vincent shot back. He got on the bike and Kysten followed after.

Cloud took notice of the silent boy and he went over and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey Kysten," Kysten looked up. "What ever it is, we'll find out soon. But for now, cheer up ya?"

"Okay...I guess." He mumbled.

Cloud and Tifa waved goodbye as the two tore out of their sight. Cloud asked Tifa to go home and they smiled and held hand together. Closing the door for the night, whispered sweet nothings as they fed the fire in the fireplace. They went back to sleep, dreaming.

Vincent and Kysten got back in the middle of the morning which was still dark. Kysten yawned and he went back to his room.

"It's very late now. Rest. Tomorrow after our meeting with Cloud and Tifa, we might bring you out to get you clothes." Vincent said, opening the door a little. "Call me if need be." And he closed the door.

"Sure. And thanks." Kysten fell on the soft bed, he closed his eyes. He felt more safe and secure. _I'm beginning to trust these people. Maybe it'll all go away once I tell them. But not too soon. Can't let that incident be repeated, no. If I sleep, nightmares of it come to me. I can't sleep. If these people are able to help me, maybe these nightmares would eventually fade in time... _He closed his eyes unable to open it for much longer and endured the nightmares to come.

* * *

_Sidelines: _

_This is Chapter 4 part two for your information...and if you don't understand it maybe it's cause i'm typing too fast that my brain slows down it's creativity. XD _


	6. Meet the Turks

**Chapter 5: Meet the Turks**

Vincent lay on his bed, hair wildly all over the place. It was around 5 in the morning and he was wide awake. He had trouble sleeping, as usual. Tearing way the thin blanket that draped his figure, he moved and sat on the edge of his bed. He took hold of small strands of his hair and twisted it around him index finger. He traced memories back to the day before, when he saw the horrifying needle scars on Kysten's arm.

Judging from the countless marks on the arm, Vincent was very sure that the poor lad was used as some form of lab-rat, fathomed to a series of torturing experiments that not only scar the flesh but the mind and heart as well. He was set on trying to coerce Kysten into talking about all the things they did to him. He knew, because he also had his own share of memories that did not fade in time as well as wounds inflicted on him that left part of him dead.

He stared at the mechanical arm that was affixed onto the lower part of his left arm. He could never feel using that hand anymore. He lifted the heavy bionic arm, accustomed to the way of moving it just like a normal one, and touched it against his pale cheek. He shuddered when the cold metal touched him and realization hit him that he was not truly alive or truly dead, in between. Not a man but part machine part demon.

Soon, he snapped out of his state of stupor and realised how much time had past, more specifically an hour. He got up, refusing to make the bed and finding it rather unreasonable considering the fact that he would have to sleep on it again. He changed into a black lose pants and a grey shirt. Once he was ready, he stepped out of his dark bedroom to welcome the day's first ray of sun over the Midgar skyline.

He never really enjoyed the sunlight and preferred spending his time in the dark; hence his room was fitted with a think opaque drape which never allowed sunlight to show itself in his room. Quietly, he walked towards the room where Kysten slept in and opened the door, effortlessly not making a sound. Vincent peered into the dim-lit room and found Kysten sleeping on the floor beside the bed. He must have been used to sleeping in the streets and probably in the lab where they kept him in.

Vincent walked over to Kysten's sleeping form, trying not to wake the tired boy. He had quite an eventful night the day before and let him rest. Vincent took out the blanket that was still under the pillow and unfolded and flipped it to its actual size before letting it fall down on Kysten. Kysten moved slightly but continued to sleep. Vincent went out make himself an early quick breakfast.

He was halfway through making himself a cup of black coffee which he trusted would keep him awake the whole day due to his lack of sleep. A loud knock echoed throughout the hallway and the voice of a young boy could be heard screeching, "Morning News!" followed by a thump of paper at the doorstep. Vincent cursed silently at the newspaper boy for disturbing the quiet atmosphere. He left the coffee to boil and went towards the entrance to get the stack of newspapers.

Vincent heard a shuffling of footsteps as he approached the door, he bend down ready to pick up the newspaper and opened the door. Instead of finding the usual stack that was lying on the ground, he saw a pair of black shiny leather boots most likely belonging to a man. He stood up to his full height to see who person was, only to get a large roll to be thrown towards his head which he unable to dodge in time. He gathered himself from being stunned by the unexpected hit, hearing loud laughter and small giggles from the people in front of him.

When he looked up, ready for any other surprises, he saw a messy red head adorning dark sunglasses atop his head which pushed the messy heap of red up and a smirk on his face. He wore his black suit shabbily and looked extremely thin and about to collapse. The female behind him also wore a black suit but more neatly that the redhead and had the most stunning vermillion eyes and blonde hair, she was the smallest of the trio that stood before Vincent. The large dark skinned man to the left of the redhead also wore his own set of black. He sported a goatee and had a few earrings on his left earlobe; he wore dark tinted glasses that Vincent could not see his eyes.

Vincent knew this trio who bunked with him for a few days (also causing him such a catastrophe in doing so); Reno with his trademark grin and wild pranks, Elena who may look frail but was one tough cookie and Rude who often was as stoic as Vincent and barely spoke. All of them famously and infamously known as the Turks.

"Ho there, Vinny ol' pal!" Reno shouted before sticking his tongue childishly. He put a firm grip on Vincent's shoulders. "Long time no see eh?"

"Hi, Vincent." Elena smiled sweetly.

"...hi" Rude said in a deep tone.

"Hi," Vincent said, trying to ignore a bouncy Reno who was almost as hyperactive as Yuffie. "Come in and besides, Reno, it's been only a week." All of them got in.

Reno and Rude settled on the sofa set watching the latest news with Reno constantly flipping the channel to a more exciting movie or whatsoever and Rude will grab the remote from Reno's hand and flip it back to the news.

"Argh...fine." Reno slouched back onto the soft sofa, folding his arms in defeat. "You win alright? No need to laugh about it. God, Rude have you ever watched anything but the news? Your worst than an old gramps, ya know?"

Rude did not answer his mouthy friend but continue to absorb whatever latest news he could get hold of. Meanwhile, Elena and Vincent were in the kitchen setting up the coffee set and came out with four mugs of streaming hot coffee.

Looking at the bubbly redhead on the sofa, Vincent sighed, _So much for peace and quietness._ He sat down next to Rude and took a few sips of the hot liquid. Everyone knew that the coffee was well...hot, except for Reno, pitifully yes.

"Coffee, just what I need!" Reno reached for his mug and quickly took a big gulp from it. Elena looked at him with wide eyes, before she could warn him, he'd already drink it. Reno felt a burning sensation down his gut, it took him a while to register that it was fresh from the kettle. He was unable to control the pain and threw everything up on the coffee table in front of him, sadly with some spilling onto the floor beneath. "Yeowch! My gut's melted!"

"Stupid Reno, only morons would gulp hot coffee down before testing if it's hot," Elena put her hand to her forehead. "Vincent, I apologise for his stupid behaviour, I'll clean it up ok?"

"If that's fine with you," Vincent thanked. He knew that if Reno cleared it up, chances that it'll make matters worse. He turned towards Reno who grinned sheepishly at him. Rude did nothing but continue to stare at the TV.

Reno, back to his usual self again, went on exploring Vincent's apartment. The first thing he went to was the room he and the others we're put up at before shifting to a permanent residence upstairs, it was where Kysten slept in. "Hey, this looks familiar." He was about to turn the knob when Vincent grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him back to the middle of the room. Reno stumbled, brushing Vincent's hand off his black suit.

"Hey, what was that for?" Reno whined.

"Do not disturb people in their sleep," Vincent simply replied.

"Who's that?" Elena queried, in the midst of wringing the rag into the sink.

"Some girl he laid down I guess. Whoa Vincent, didn't know this side of ya!" Reno teased, nudging Vincent's back, since he was too short to nudge the taller man's shoulder.

Vincent spun around and took hold of Reno's white collar, looking in to his bright aquamarine eyes with a fierce powering look. "Firstly, Kysten is a young boy and do not get funny ideas. Secondly, I do not have the pleasure of getting 'laid' or whatsoever. Thirdly, I would recommend you stop all this nonsense at once and sit down and behave like a real man."

"Touché," Reno sarcastically replied. He instantly obeyed and sat back on the sofa.

Vincent considered that the Turks could be a valuable asset in the matter of Kysten and his connection with an undiscovered ShinRa Lab/Cave but he would take it slowly at a time. He requested all of them to sit down in front of him silently. Telling them of this affair that started from when he found Kysten and what Kysten told Cloud, Tifa and him during the night at their home. None of the Turks spoke as they listened; even the happy-go-lucky Reno listened carefully.

"So do you think they're back?" Elena questioned.

"I do not have more details but we can only wait and see." Vincent shrugged, "But Kysten is kind of a harmless lonely kid, minus away his sliver hair, he's just...broken."

"I do not recall of any mission to some ShinRa cave or lab of some sort. I have a few associates I could ask if need be." Reno said quietly. He walked and opened Kysten's room. "I'll check on him."

"Do not judge him by his looks. He's different from the others we encountered last time. Try to make him at least a bit happy." Vincent turned to the ex-Turk.

"Got it!" Reno grinned.

_Stay away from me..._

_C'mere kid, you can't run away. No matter where you hide, I'll hunt you down._

_Stay away from me, I hate that place. It hurts all over me._

_You'll never be free, you'll always have me in your mind. You're not even real. You're nothing. _

_I had a life, one which you took away from me! I want to wake from this hellish nightmare! Get out of me head!_

Kysten opened his eyes wide, cold sweating and gasping. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He quickly turned over to see a thin and tall redhead looking at him, as well as two others he did not know. The redhead spoke:

"So you're Kysten eh? Having a nightmare?"

He nodded, turning his head towards the door to see Vincent leaving the scene.

"Vincent told us about you. Hey! Sorry for waking you, got us a bit scared from all that rambling you spoke in your sleep. For starters, my name's Reno" Reno, pulled Kysten up into a sitting manner, grinning widely. "Big guy over there is Rude, my best drinkin' pal" pointing to Rude, "and pretty gal (self-acclaimed) here is Elena." pointing to a rather furious Elena.

"Hey what was that for?" Elena shouted at him.

"Hi..." Kysten said, with little happiness.

"Kysten stop going over to broody land like Vincent and Rude here. I'll die of there'll be a third, ya know? Lighten up a little. By the way, feeling hungry?"

Kysten's eyes lightened up a little, eager for a meal, he had not eaten since 5 last evening. "Sure."

"You go, man," Reno laughed. "I bet you're gonna like where we're taking you. Make haste in dressing up."

"Ok." Kysten headed for the cupboard while the Turks moved themselves out of the room.

"By the way, Kysten." Reno said from behind the door. "You look kind of bad in Vincent's clothes. After breakfast, we're gonna do SHOPPING for you!" Reno shouted upon the word 'shopping'.

From the background, Kysten could hear Elena laughing. He smiled, feeling warmth he had not felt for so long. Maybe, I'm going to enjoy this gang. "I'm coming, and guys, thanks a lot." Kysten shouted from the room, quickly changing into last night's set of jeans and shirt.

* * *

_Sidelines..._

_Sorry for the slow update. Exams ar coming and I have to study. Most importantly, me computer crached and i spent countless nights trying to retrieve my data from it, well it was rather hopeless. So i had to go to a friends house to use the computer. XD well, trying to remember all that i wrote for about 5 chapters. Xx very tired. Took me 2 day to wite this one._


End file.
